Gate latch



March 27, 1928. 1,663,867

J. swENKA GATE LATCH Filed March 10. 1926 Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN SWENKA, OF NQRTH LIBERTY, IOWA.

GATE LATCH.

Application filed March 10, 1926.

The object is the provision ot a simply constructed latch for eitherwooden or metal gates or other hinged members ot a construction wherebythe latch may be operated 'from either side ot' the gate and :furtherwherein the parts constituting the improvement are housed and therebyprotected from weather conditions.

To the attainment o't` the foregoing and other objects which willpresent themselves as the nature ot the invention is better understood,reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and form part ofthis application.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a` top plan view ot' a gate provided with the improvement.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improvement, thekeeper for the gate being also in section.

In Figure 1 of the drawings my improvementis4 illustrated in connectionwith a wooden gate. while in Figure 2 the device is applied to a metalgate. In both iigures the latch construction is the same.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 indicates a gateor like swingable member and Q the stop post therefor. In carrying` outmy invention I let in the outer tace ot the post 2. the hollowsubstantially rectangular body port-ion 8 ot' a keeper. The keeper hasside flanges arranged at opposite angles and which are indicated by thenumeral 4.

Secured on. the end ot the gate by means 5. there is the casing ot' myimprovement. The center or body portion of the casing is substantiallyU-shapcd. there being extended. from the tace plate 6 ot' theimprovement, plates 7 that provide the inner walls ot' housings 8. Eachhousing has its outer wall 9 formed with an angle extension 10 that isdisposed a suitable distance away from the tace plate 6. but in a linetherewith. The sides ot the casing, between the face plate 6 and thewalls 1()` are open or partly open and there is pivoted in thecompartments 11 provided between the said parts 6 and 10. one end of anoperating lever 12. The pivots for the levers are indicated by thenumerals` 13 and the parts of the levers inward ol the pivots arearranged at an angle as indicated Serial No. 93,810.

at lfl. The angle end ot' each lever carries a link 1? and each ot'these links is ofi'set and passed through an opening or otherwisesecured to the parallel arms 16 of the substantially U-sliaped latch bar17. The arms 16 are. ot course. received in the housings 8 and the outerends ot the said. arms are rounded upon themselves and extended inparallelism with the arms proper. as indicated by the numerals 18.Secured to these extensions there are the ends et helical springs 19,the opposite ends otl the said springs being fixed to the portion ot'the tace plate 6 that covers the compartments S. The rear ends of therods i6 paas through openings in the closed walls Lll 'tor ilu`compartments 18.

By reference to the drawings it will be d that the gate may be openedfrom er side thereof by operating either of the wcrs l?. It will beobvious that. when the t ite swung to closed position the latch bolt oroar l? will travel over the inclined flanges t ot the keeper 3. afterwhich thesprings 19 will urge the said latch bolt into the keeper,thereby elicctively locking the gate.

The siniplicit)Y and advantages of my improvement will, it is thought.be perfectly7 apparent to those skilled in the art to which suchinvention relates, when the foregoing description has been iarefullyread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

lilaving described the invention, I claim .f`\ gate latch. comprising asubstantially U-shaped member which is designed to surround the end ot'a gate and to be atiixed thereon. said member having its parallel sidestoru'icd with outwardly extending housi 1; and the said housings beingprovided with lateral extensions, whose ends are open, a substantiallyUsshaped bolt having' its parallel arnrsl guided through the housings,springs secured to the said arms of the bolts and to the housings torinfluencing the bolt outward ot the said housings. a link pivot allyconnected to each arm ot the bolt and au angle lever pivoted in thementioned lateral extensions ot the housings. having handle portionsarranged extcriorly thereof and having their inner ends pivotallyconnected with the links.

In testimony whereof I atliX my signature.

JOI-IN SWENKA.

noti e ill

